JK Rowling’s crime novel at centre of bidding war for film rights

Several Hollywood studios seeking to buy The Cuckoo's Calling after 'Robert Galbraith' revealed to be Harry Potter author

JK Rowling’s pseudonymous novel pursued by Hollywood studios

The Cuckoo's Calling by 'Robert Galbraith' is subject of interest from a number of big-hitters including Warner Bros

Have you ever had an alter ego like ‘Robert Galbraith’?

Open thread: JK Rowling's pseudonym was inspired by a childhood moniker. Tell us the names you wished for as a child – or still hide behind

Denise Mina steals Theakstons Old Peculier crime novel award

Lead character DS Alex Morrow helps novelist get away with a second £3,000 cash haul

The best crime-writing festivals around the world

Whether you're a fan of Scandi TV dramas or planning to pen your own thriller, add a twist to a city break at a crime-writing festival, with a chance to listen to and socialise with your favourite authors, says Louise Millar

Mel Sherratt on self-publishing: ‘I just never gave up’

After being rebuffed by publishers because her books didn't fit a genre, Mel Sherratt was turned down for writing one that was too generic. Time to go it alone ...

JK Rowling’s book ruse is a cautionary tale for unknown writers

Joan Smith: The Cuckoo's Calling became an instant bestseller once the Rowling brand was revealed – a sad indictment of publishing

Collected Stories of Rumpole by John Mortimer – review

Rumpole was conceived for the screen, but John Mortimer's enduring comic creation is a joy on the page, too, writed Natasha Tripney

When readers become stalkers

The case of a reader attacking a crime writer at a book signing is just the latest in a string of incidents that could be out of a Stephen King novel, writes John Dugdale

Holiday reading: The best books to pack this summer

Our favourite fiction, non-fiction and crime books for the ultimate holiday escape

Why are Nordic detective stories/films so successful?

Readers answer other readers' questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific concepts

Crime fiction: the new punk?

Just as the Sex Pistols invigorated a hidebound rock establishment, so contemporary noir could wake up literary novels to a wider world

The Devil and the River by RJ Ellory – review

In his first thriller since the 'sock-puppet' scandal, RJ Ellory conjures up genuine chills with voodoo, murder and gothic southern dynasties, writes Alison Flood